All Hallows Eve
by sarapals with past50
Summary: A short story celebrating a new season, a new boss, a team learning to have fun. All fluff! Rating may change. GSR, of course!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: A new, short story! Celebrating the new season! Enjoy! We own nothing, just having fun with our favorite characters from CSI. _

**All Hallows Eve**

**Chapter 1**

The brightly colored envelopes had been handed to everyone in the lab at the end of the night shift, so Sara knew from all the excitement generated about the party invitations. A party—given by the new boss and his wife to celebrate their move to Vegas and, Sara's eyes rolled, a Halloween costume party.

Skipping the party was her first thought but opting out of the new supervisor's first soirée was not a wise career decision and she actually liked him. While the last thing she wanted to do was dress up in some gaudy costume with others, even if they were friends, she knew D.B. was sincere in his attempts to connect with everyone in the lab. Nick had read the invitation aloud and when he read the last sentences, all of them sat in surprised silence.

He read, "Costumes a must! But please no fluffy kittens or fuzzy puppies!" Nick looked up, "What does that mean?" He continued, "With Ecklie's blessing, day and swing supervisors and CSIs have agreed to cover three hours of night shift so the party can continue until midnight." Nick was smiling as he finished.

Catherine was already laughing. "It means the Russell's are not into plushies and furries!"

Everyone laughed and the excitement started; quickly, two of the lab techs joined them with ideas and suggestions. Sara's second or third eye roll was not missed by Catherine.

"Come on, Sara. It'll be fun. We haven't had a dress-up party in years!"

Catherine's comment caused another eye roll; Sara knew but asked "How long ago was that?" She remembered Catherine had dressed as a dominatrix and bets were made about the authenticity of her costume. She also remembered how impressed Grissom had been with Catherine's costume.

Nick edged between the two women. "This will be fun! Sara, you can come as Red Riding Hood!"

"What? I don't think so! And why Red Riding Hood?"

He chuckled. "Since the invite is for us and a guest, I thought you could bring Miz Betty as the grandmother!" He laughed at his joke and ducked behind Catherine to avoid an elbow poke from Sara.

Sara scowled. She and her mother-in-law had reached a level of reserved ease but attending a costume party together was out of the question. "I don't think so—I'll tell you what—why don't you ask her to come as Bonnie to your Clyde?"

"Stop—stop!" Laughing, he backed away. "You will come, right? I'm coming for you if you are not there!"

She and Catherine walked a few more steps. "Will Grissom be home? It would be great to see him. And he and D.B. would have a lot in common."

Normally, Sara kept quiet about her husband's whereabouts; even when he was home, she did not announce it. The first months after she had returned, the teasing has been enough to last her a life time.

"Maybe he'll be at home."

Catherine caught her arm, gently pulling Sara into an office. "Don't you miss him? After all the years we worked together, I miss him every day—and you—how?"

As Sara folded her arms across her chest, Catherine glimpsed a second of conflict in the eyes of her co-worker; just as quickly it disappeared.

"We're doing fine, Catherine. And yes, I miss him very much when he's gone, but when we talk—I know he's happy—excited—doing things he's dreamed of doing for years. I would not keep him here for—for all the gold chips at the Bellagio!"

Catherine persisted, "But why do you stay?"

Sara laughed softly. "Because I need to—want to. Practical reasons—insurance, Hank, Betty, my mother, the condo—a paycheck." She laughed again. "And I've never loved bugs the way Gil does."

"But he's away so much!"

"We're together at least once a month—sometimes more often if we can. Right now, he's in Peru where they are finding an amazing variety of insects in an area no one has ever studied. Catherine, if you could hear his excitement—when I do, I know why he's there and I'm as happy as he is."

"I couldn't do it," Catherine declared. "I want a man in my bed with me a lot more often than every four weeks!"

Sara laughed. "Any man or is it still one particular man?"

With a laugh, Catherine shrugged. "We're good too." Her phone appeared in her hand. "I need to make sure he has the party night off."

"Yeah, you two can come as Cleopatra and Mark Antony."

Catherine grinned. "You think so?"

Sara saw Hodges heading their direction, waving the orange envelope. "I've got to go—see you tomorrow," she said and headed in the opposite direction.

Once in her car, she drove home, walked to the dog-sitter's and picked up Hank. Together they spent an hour in the park with the dog sniffing every plant and post in the area as Sara let him roam on a long leash. At home she checked messages and found none. She knew there would be one at some point; her husband was somewhere in Peru, near its northern border with Ecuador. His last video message had been several days ago but she knew he was in a remote mountainous jungle area where satellite signals were often disrupted by weather, the jungle, who knows what else. She sent a quick message about work and the impending party, but decided not to mention the costume part of it.

She clicked 'send' and almost immediately a video message appeared in her box. She opened it, watched and listened as her husband described a hike in the rain, with a camera recording his steps. As he walked, he talked about what he was seeing—plants, orchids, frogs, birds—stopping to record a small hummingbird and resuming his walk with "You won't believe your eyes, Sara." The screen filled; against the unbroken green of the forest, richly colored butterflies and jewel bright birds flashed like magic touches of paint. The camera moved upward to a pale cloudless sky, and then downward to show a long winding silver river in the far distance and the dark green of tree tops. His voice continued, "It's absolutely breathtaking. This is the highest point in the area and we are working just below the summit." His voice grew quieter, softened. "I think of you all the time, Sara. I can see your face, hear your voice."

The camera jiggled and Sara heard new voices as others joined Grissom. She heard him say "I'm recording this to send to my wife." The voices joined in a chorus of "hello" messages as the camera continued moving across the lush landscape. Grissom added, "More later" and the video clicked off. Not once had he put his face on camera.

Sara leaned back in her chair and sent another message. Sometimes she would get an immediate response; other times there was a delay. She clicked back to the video message and watched again. Several times she caught a glimpse of Grissom's shoe as he walked on the path. She laughed as she realized she was watching his feet rather than what he was describing.

She got a drink from the kitchen and returned to the desk; no new message had been received. She called for Hank and crawled into bed, leaving the computer on. She might hear the 'ding' of an arriving message, she thought, as she drifted into sleep.

_A/N: All we ask is a review-thanks..._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: With this chapter you will know what our team decides to wear! Enjoy!_

**All Hallows Eve**

**Chapter 2**

For the following week, crime in Vegas continued at its usual pace—dead bodies, destroyed lives, broken locks, stolen cars, smashed windows, drug deals gone bad—but nothing stopped the excited plans for 'The Party'. Everyone seemed to throw out dozens of costume ideas hoping for a reaction, and at the same time, refusing to confirm what they would wear. Secrets were everywhere as a sort of bartering system developed for items of clothing, for everyday items repurposed into a costume.

Early one morning, evidence from a puzzling death covering the layout table, Morgan asked, "Seriously, how is everyone's costume coming?"

Her question was met with mumbles; Greg drew something in the air that looked like a question mark and Sara stayed silent.

Morgan sighed so loudly the papers ruffled on the table. "Now, guys. I'm new in town and haven't had a real date since I got here—this _is not normal_!"

Surprised, Catherine stared, open-mouthed. Greg and Nick began to snicker. Sara laughed, mumbling "I know that club."

"So," she continued, "why don't we show up together—dressed alike? We're a team, right? Everyone else can show up as—as Charlie Sheen or Captain Kirk." From her grimace everyone knew who was coming in Star Trek costume. "We would really be cool—we could all be the 'Where's Waldo' guy—remember him from when you were a kid?"

Catherine dropped her head to hide her laugh; Lindsey had loved the Waldo books.

Undaunted, Morgan continued, "Maybe not Waldo. No dead bodies—ugh. We see enough of that! We want to stand out in a crowd." Her forehead wrinkled in thought. "Space men are out, so are Vegas mobsters. How about bugs? We could be roaches! Yeah—dark brown shirts, brown pants, wings, antenna—five giant cockroaches!" She was oblivious to the wide-eyed stares of the two men and two women around her and the looks they gave each other before one of them snorted. "We could make wings out of pantyhose, with wire and long, to the floor. Can anyone use a hot glue gun? Legs are easy, just glue felt legs to our shirts and pants. But the wings would make the costume!"

By the time she had finished, all of them were laughing. Catherine had her hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking; Nick and Greg, raucously laughing, were eagerly agreeing. Even Sara laughed as Morgan drew a standing cockroach with long antenna and multiple legs sticking from the body.

"With a little work, this will be fun—can you imagine everyone's face when we walk in looking identical! And roaches!" Morgan gushed on. "I can do wings—I was an angel once in college and it would not take much to make bigger wings. Cutting, gluing, a little wire and," she spread her arms, a wide grin on her face, "we are roaches!"

"I'm in!" Greg said immediately.

"Me too." Nick agreed. "Come on, Sara, Catherine. This will be fun!" Nick's laughed turned into giggles. "There is one person I wish could see us!"

"Roaches," Sara's expression was one of unbelievable resignation. "If you will, I will." She looked at Catherine.

Catherine nodded her head. "We're going to need a video camera."

Morgan's apartment was too small to work on five pairs of roach wings, so Catherine offered her dining room. Two days later, Nick, Greg, and Sara were fed by Lily as Morgan, Catherine, and Lindsay twisted wire, stretched colored tights over the wire, wound duct tape, and hot-glued Velcro and elastic in appropriate places as each costume gradually changed into sometime resembling a roach—sort of.

Entertaining as always, Lily served breakfast and told stories of gluing showgirl costumes and head dresses directly to skin. "And it was not this washable stuff—it was the original super glue. That stuff stayed with you for days!" She plated pancakes and passed them to Nick.

Two loud expletives came from the dining room. Lily retorted with "Watch your language! We have company!"

Catherine appeared in the kitchen. "We've gone through all the panty hose—and need at least two more pairs. Sara?"

"I'm on it!" She swallowed the last bite of pancake and pushed back. "Thanks, Lily. Much better than the diner." She grabbed her keys.

"Get the plus size, Sara!" Morgan called.

Lily walked to the dining table and looked at what they were doing. "You need hair spray." She lifted the cut-off panty portion, examining it closely. "Now why is the double layer in the crotch not sewn together?" She ran fingers between two layers of fabric. "Look at this! It makes a perfect little pocket! This is weird." With a puzzled glance, she looked at Catherine, and then Morgan.

Morgan, bending wire with pliers, replied, "Oh, that's a place to put your cell phone—keeps it safe and you don't need a pocket or a purse." She never looked up as she reached for duct tape.

Lily stared at the young girl; her mouth dropped open. Catherine's rumbling laugh was followed by a fit of choking on her coffee.

"Well, I never, but I guess it works!" Lily said as she picked up her purse and left the room. "I'm going with Sara."

Somehow, over several days, brown sweat shirts and pants were fitted with felt legs, coiled wire became antenna glued to caps, and wings of black pantyhose, coated with hair spray, became amazingly realistic roach wings. Elastic, duct tape, Velcro and glue held everything together.

Sara told Grissom about the party, but decided to keep the costumes secret until they were dressed and could send him a video which Lindsay had already volunteered to "direct". Not only were the costumes put together at Catherine's house, they were going to dress and leave for the party from there so they could arrive together. Sara was secretly happy to have the night off so she could come home and sleep after the party.

The night of the party, Nick, Greg, and Sara arrived within minutes of each other; Morgan was already in Catherine's house where she seemed to have lived for three days putting finishing touches on costumes.

Nick welcomed Sara. "Are you ready for this? We are going to be the highlight of the party or end it when we walk in. I hope Mrs. D.B. has a sense of humor!"

"I'm not sure why I agreed to this," Sara whispered as Greg approached with a wide grin on his face.

"Ahh—we'll have fun. D.B. is a fun guy."

"Hey," greeted Greg. "Are we ready to become bugs?" He changed his voice, "not just any bugs, but cockroaches! I wish Grissom were here—he's not, is he?"

Sara shook her head. "Not this week. Still searching for new bugs in Peru."

Once inside, everyone had wings, antenna, and legs attached to shirts and pants as Lily and Catherine passed bottles of beer to everyone.

Sara laughed, "It may take something stronger than beer to get me through this night!"

Morgan adjusted Sara's cap of antenna. "We look good! And Lindsay and Lily have a 'script' ready for us to tape and send to your hubby."

The script appeared; it involved music and dancing. Sara reached for another beer. After clicking on the camera, Lindsay gave a short introduction. Everyone followed directions, hiding faces as they formed a circle while Lindsay filmed. With a music cue, they broke apart, one by one, with Sara last, smiling for the camera, as they formed a dancing line of cockroaches, kicking feet into the air, doing several turns to show off the entire costume—this went on for thirty or forty seconds—before Nick or Greg, tangled in their own feet, tripped. The fall caused an avalanche of five as the others went down in a heap, laughing so hard they stayed on the floor as Greg yelled for help from the bottom of the pile.

"Cut! Perfect!" Lindsay shouted. "This is going to look great!"

Scrambling to get off the floor, the group watched a replay of their performance. Greg accused Nick of tripping him. Nick said Greg was clumsy. The women laughed at their own foolishness. Lindsay downloaded the video, less than two minutes long, and Sara hit 'send' to Grissom's email.

Not waiting for a response, which might be in minutes or hours, the group left for the Russell's house. It was decorated for a party. Lights were everywhere, hanging from bushes, decorating the house, in the flowerbeds. Bales of hay and pumpkins made a path to the front door. Several 'ghosts' were spotlighted hanging from the house. The five roaches tramping to the open front door were partly disguised by darkness and the color of their costumes. Behind them, a woman and man dressed as playing cards were adjusting their own costumes and did not seem to notice the invasion of insects.

Walking behind Sara, Catherine whispered, "I hope I do not regret this."

_A/N: Thanks for reading-we hope you laugh! Leave us a comment, let us know what you think! We appreciate hearing from all of you-remember this story is a short one!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: And the party! A personal note: 10 years ago our mom spent hours making 5 roach costumes for her 5 daughters-from that came this idea! (we were a massive 'hit' for Halloween). Enjoy!_

**All Hallows Eve**

**Chapter 3**

The Russell affair was a crowd; a mass of people from young teenagers and their parents to almost everyone who worked the night shift at the lab. Morgan had been right; everyone stopped and stared as the five roaches stepped inside the house. Within seconds, it seemed everyone was laughing and applauding the most original costumes in the house. D.B and his wife, dressed as Papa Smurf and a female version of Chef Smurf with a tall white toque on her head, welcomed the group with loud screams of delight.

"Honey, didn't I tell you these are the best people I've ever worked with?" D.B. hugged the three women and slapped the backs of Nick and Greg. "Cockroaches—brilliant!"

His wife pointed to the food and beverage tables. "More outside," she announced. "Ignore the young ones—or dance to their music!"

Sara thought there must be fifty people in the house and another fifty outside. More colored lights and hanging cheesecloth had transformed the house and yard into a shadowy land populated by costumed legends and myths, ancient Greek goddesses mingled with future space travelers. Pirates, queens, Charlie Sheen, cartoon characters conversed, laughed, and moved from one table filled with food to another, as attempts for conversations were made. Sonny and Cher appeared—Doc Robbins in a white suit and his wife dressed in a white sparkly dress, both wearing dark wigs, brought laughs from the crowd.

Food platters and bowls were everywhere, not just three tables—sandwiches, vegetables, fruits, chips, dips, cookies, crackers, cheeses, a dozen bowls of candy. Plastic pumpkins filled with beverages in assorted colors were near the bar; a bartender served beer, wine and mixed drinks, double-checking ages for anyone appearing younger than thirty. At any time there was some kind of game going on—a Halloween treasure hunt in the back yard with 'golden spiders' as the treasure, a candy toss, a glow in the dark skeleton used for a ring-pitch game, a 'name the spooky music' competition. Mrs. Russell was a ring master—controlling everything with the help of her four smurf-dressed teenagers.

Sara and Greg teamed up and won the "name the spooky music" competition; naming 'Thriller,' 'Super Freak', and 'Monster Mash' before anyone else. Sara's ability to remember 'Love Potion #9' in its first four notes stunned everyone who knew her.

"How'd you do that?" Greg asked as D.B.-Papa Smurf presented them with the winning prize.

"You have to share your winnings," D.B. announced as he gave them a large bag of candy. Sara immediately ripped the bag open and tossed miniature bars into the crowd.

The five cockroaches were winners of 'best costume' and received a gold spray painted pumpkin as a trophy which was immediately handed to Morgan. Young girls wanted their photographs taken with the two men; a few of the boys worked up courage to pose beside Morgan and couples lined up to take photos with all five.

"Who knew we would be the hit of the party?" Catherine laughed as another photo was taken.

Morgan, filled with smug confidence, said "I knew we would be! No one would think of cockroaches!"

Near mid-night, the party began to wind down. Parents herded offspring into cars; Sonny and Cher left along with most of the night shift. Greg, Nick, and D.B.'s son, Charlie, had bested younger boys in a quick game of shootout basketball—cockroaches and a smurf versus a superhero, a pirate, and another smurf.

Sara, after her second limoncello, switched to plain lemonade so she could drive everyone back to Catherine's house. Wings were ripped off and thrown in the back of the vehicle—Morgan, holding her gold pumpkin, ended up sitting in the middle of the back seat between Nick and Greg, a tangle of cockroach legs patting her face.

"I must say, Morgan, this was a costume well worth the effort," Nick said with unabashed satisfaction. "I do think we were the hit of the party." He used one of the felt legs to tap Morgan's head. "We might keep you after all!"

Sara agreed.

Greg added, "We should go somewhere else—let's go to the diner!"

Immediately, everyone else shouted "No!"

Catherine laughed, "Imagine walking into the diner dressed as we are—we would never again get a good table, or edible food! Home, Sara!" She turned toward the rear seat. "And some of us have to go to work in a few hours—so go home, shower, and get to work!"

"I can come in if you need me," Sara offered.

The others refused her offer. "Get some sleep," Greg said.

Nick laughed, "If we get a massacre at a casino, we'll call."

Morgan suggested, "Better yet, if we get food poisoning at a buffet, we'll call for you!"

"Enjoy your day off, Sara," said Catherine.

Sara walked in to a dark house; seeing her shadow, she thought she did look like a cockroach—a very large one. She waved her arms after she dropped her 'wings' on the floor and laughed. She had left Hank with his sitter before the party with a promise to pick him up early in the morning. She opened the refrigerator, her fake bug legs flapping against door and cabinets, and poured herself a glass of juice. She drained the glass and turned to pour more juice; the only light in the room was a long bright shaft cast from the refrigerator.

As she placed the juice back on the shelf, she heard—sensed something in the room behind her. She turned, blinked twice as her eyes adjusted to darkness. Shadows seemed to be playing a trick with her eyes. Confused for a second, placing her drinking glass on the countertop, her mind gathered what she was seeing into a shape—white shirt, white boxers, arms, legs—a familiar, beloved form standing ten feet from her.

She made a surprising sound at the same moment a recognizable voice came from the person standing in the shadows.

"Sara?"

"Gil?"

She laughed.

He laughed and reached for the light switch. "It is you! What have you got on?"

"Gil!" She crossed the space between them in a soundless explosion of one word and never noticed how her brown insect legs fluttered as she moved. Her arms went around his neck; his arms went around her body with such force she was lifted off her feet. She breathed deeply taking in the clean scent of his hair, his skin; feeling his strong body underneath her palms.

"You're home!" Sara said; her voice sounded strangely hoarse.

He laughed, a soft sound, muffled because his lips were pressed against Sara's hair. "I started out yesterday—got here around eight." He gripped her arms and pushed away. "I knew you would be at the party, so got home, showered and took a nap." His hand reached for a brown leg. "And heard you but when I got to the kitchen, I saw this—this—what is this?"

Laughter erupted from her lungs; she was as sober as a judge yet her head was spinning, her brain unable to make logical thoughts. "You're home! You didn't tell me!" Her hands refused to leave his face as her fingertips traced his lips, the cleft in his chin, back along his jaw.

Grissom pulled her back into a two-arm hug and kissed her. But the extra appendages on her shirt and pants kept getting in his way. After a long kiss, he pulled away. "What have you got on, dear? Definitely too much—and too many—are these legs?"

The kiss—Sara loved every molecule in his body, but his kiss—always put her into sensory overload that caused a tingling she felt between her legs. He started slowly, with just the lips, lightly sucking on her bottom lip, and then moved to open-mouth kissing, darting the tip of his tongue into her mouth. The taste of his kiss had a hint of the flavor of his recent drink, freshly cut oak with a trace of mellow smoke. His hands cradled her head, his fingers threaded through her hair; his thumbs stroked her jaw line.

She did not want him to stop, but the kiss had actually pulled her back to reality—her husband was holding her; it was no figment of imagination or trick of shadows and form.

A breath of answering laughter warmed his skin as she placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm a roach." She giggled. "Along with Catherine, Nick, Greg and Morgan—it was her idea."

"A roach?" She felt his deep, contented laugh growing in his chest before a sound was made.

"We sent you a video—but you were almost home by the time we sent it."

"A cockroach! All five of you?" He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

Sara said, "We were—you should have seen us." Her face lifted to his. "You are home—early—why?" Her hands could not stay away from his face, confirming she was not dreaming. "I—I need a shower! There's no food!" Her forehead touched his and for several minutes they kissed in the way of lovers who have been apart for a long time and the heat flamed between her legs.

"We'll buy food," Grissom finally whispered. "But you do need to get out of these clothes—the last thing I want to do is take a roach to bed." His warm laughter, the tender affection in his voice, the growing heat in her body caused Sara to quickly pull her shirt over her head, struggling a few seconds with tangled legs before the shirt was thrown to the floor.

"A shower, Gil. A very quick one," she said as she finally separated herself from his arms. "Give me three minutes—and get in bed!"

Instead of bed, Grissom checked his email and had just finished watching the video of five dancing cockroaches when Sara appeared, damp and wrapped in a towel. She found her husband, laughing as he hit 'replay'.

"You know this is priceless," he said as he beckoned for her to join him.

Sara settled into the chair with him. "We were pretty awesome—Morgan is a breath of air even if she is Ecklie's daughter." Sara kissed Grissom's check. Her palm cradled his chin; she lifted his face and kissed his mouth. A low, hungry groan escaped from deep in his chest as he parted his lips for her.

Her hands encircled his neck. His arms, finding a way to remove the towel, went around her very tightly. A few minutes passed as they sat together, letting the video play, the laughter and words from earlier in the day served as light-hearted ignition of what was happening between them. His palm closed over her breast; pleasure rushed through Sara. Her eyes closed as she heard herself utter a soft, husky moan.

"I had to come home, Sara. I missed you so much I could not stay away another day—I had to see you," he admitted.

_A/N: One more chapter -all we ask is for you to send a review, a comment, a few words our way! Thanks!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Here's the last chapter! Let us know what you think!_

**All Hallows Eve**

**Chapter 4**

The clock on the table beside the bed read two-fifteen. They needed to sleep, but not yet. Grissom's desire for Sara exceeded his need for sleep. They had moved from chair to bed as one. No words were needed as he touched her—a fingertip across her mouth, the tip of his tongue to the edge of her thumb, his lips on her throat. His movements were so exquisitely intimate that she trembled.

Desire had consumed every other sensation for nearly an hour as desperate passion had seized him. Sara had responded with a fiery need of her own, an emotion she managed to suppress while her husband was away. Quickly, he had rolled on top, his erection probing the entrance to her body. The few minutes in the chair together, Sara's damp body sitting across his lap, his hands searching, finding, playing on erotic sensitive places had caused the right responses for both. Sara knew the limits of her husband's self-control at times like this. As he rocked against her, driving himself deeper, a sweet tension built inside her; the natural progression of passion occurred quickly. She tipped over the edge of conscious thought just as his orgasm exploded.

Afterwards, they kissed, touched, laughed quietly, and talked about minutia of every day life. Grissom shifted slightly in bed; he was already aroused by the intimate contact with his wife. She had wrapped one long leg over his thighs which pulled his body into a snug fit against her feminine core. He could feel her dampness, pulsating against his growing erection. He moved to slow his response. This time, he vowed, he would control himself; he would rein in his passion to prolong pleasure for Sara. Their first time together after an absence was always fast, furious, extremely pleasurable for him—Sara climaxed, he was sure of that—but he wanted more for her.

In the cool darkness of their bed, she smiled. He kissed her neck and then caught her earlobe between his teeth. She responded with a shiver and a quiet gasp of pleasure. He smiled and whispered, "I love doing that." He was stretched the length of her body, his knees and arms taking the weight of his body. His hands raked into her sweet scented hair as he kissed her eyebrow, her closed eyes, her nose, her chin, and at last her mouth. Her body moved under his, lifting her hips, trying to move her legs to bring his erection into the damp triangle of her intimate folds.

He looked down and saw a radiant comprehension in her eyes—followed quickly by a soft teasing, provocative laugh. Her back arched as he moved his hand, slowly tracing a path from her neck to the valley between her breasts. His lips followed his fingers. He moved slowly.

Sara was fast; her fingers encircled him and the exquisite pleasure of being touched intimately by Sara was too much. He was forced to catch and trap her hand so he would be able to finish what he intended. She smiled again as he brought her hand to the pillow.

"Not tonight—I have other plans," he whispered.

He moved, rising to his knees, sliding his hands along her skin, caressing her nipples with gently strokes until her butt lifted from the bed. He leaned down and kissed her belly; Sara's fingers brushed across the back of his neck. After a moment, he gently separated her legs and touched his tongue to the inside of her thigh. Her fingers tightened in his hair. He felt the sudden spasm cascading across her abdomen.

Reaching up with one hand, he touched her lips with his fingers. She responded by kissing, then sucking his fingers. Settling himself between her legs, he inhaled the delicate feminine scent of Sara as his lips found the sensitive bud of her sex. He heard a soft moan as her body responded to his attentions. Her breath came quickly; her hips lifted against him as his tongue gently flicked.

"Gil," she gasped in a muffled whisper. Her body clenched, muscle contractions caused a noticeable tremor. He slipped a finger into her passage and felt the beginning quivers of her impending orgasm. His thumb gently stroked the soft swell of her flesh.

He raised his head and saw her lips part as her breathing intensified.

Quickly, he propelled himself forward, covering her body; with one hand, he guided his throbbing erection into her. The other hand cradled her neck as his mouth came to hers. He pushed, slowly filling her in the most intimate act between man and woman. Gradually, he moved, faster, pacing himself as he felt the force of Sara's muscle contractions—her pleasure came fully this time; physically, he felt her explosive climax—heard the choked cry erupt as waves of pleasure rushed through her. Seconds later, the same happened to him.

For a time, they lay quietly, letting the sensations warm their bodies and linger in their minds. Grissom was the first to move, raising himself on elbows to look at her.

"I love you, Sara." He chuckled. "Forgive me." His hand circled her neck; his thumb moved gently across her chin.

"For what?"

He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. "For being away—for coming home and jumping into bed with you. We've barely talked."

"We had no reason to talk, dear."

He speared fingers through her hair combing her dark curls away from her face. "You never asked why I returned early."

Sara laughed and wiggled her hips against his. "I thought you missed me!"

"I did—never doubt that!" He kissed her again. "And," his eyes grew intent and very serious. "We have an offer to discuss." He gave her a rare, sensual smile.

Scrambling quickly, Sara sat bolt upright in bed. "A grant! Our own? When? Where? Oh, Gil!" She twisted to face him.

He smiled at the sight of her—uncovered from the waist up, her perky breasts, erect nipples, creamy skin seemed to glow in the muted light in the room. Lazily, he pulled her back down beside him and wrapped arms around her. "Not a grant—better. Of course, we don't have to accept it."

"Yes, we will—it's Costa Rica, isn't it?" She grinned as she settled beside him.

He nodded. "For two years, we will be on-site faculty at the Monteverde study abroad campus for the University of Nevada."

Sara was torn between laughter and profound astonishment. "Two years?"

"And we take Hank, we'll have a house."

"What will your mother say?"

"She'll be delighted—maybe she'll come to visit us. What about your mother?"

Sara shook her head. "My mother—she's in her own world which isn't likely to change." She sighed, but quickly rebounded. "Two years—did they offer both of us a position?"

"Yes, they did. I'll be teaching—you'll be in charge of the student labs. We have the same holidays, semester breaks as students do, so we can return here to check on things."

"Oh, Gil, I do love you." She rolled to face him. "I know I'll never sleep now!"

"Yes, you will." He kissed her, long and deeply, while his hands began a gentle massage along her spine. He pulled her closer to him, fitting himself to her body, and he thought how perfectly they blended together, not just in a physical way. Her dark eyes mirrored his thoughts, his feelings, his soul. Years ago he had seen intelligence, reflection, and merriment in her eyes, but there had also been a deep-rooted sadness. Now, he saw all of that again, without sadness, replaced with desire and longing, and it was for him.

Arms entwined, silken legs wove like soft ropes around him in the most welcome way. The girl he had known for years had become the woman he needed—she had lifted him from darkness, filled a void in him, liberated and set him free. His hands continued stroking, kneading, touching her body with tenderness.

Sara's breathing slowed; her eyelids drooped. Drifting on a wave of warmth, Sara knew she wanted more. As her eyes closed, just before falling asleep, she heard his whispered words, "I love you."

_A/N: And we bring this one to its end! Thank you for your support and comments and for reading our bits of fiction! We've enjoyed writing about Sara and Grissom-while we are sure there is another story waiting for us to write, we are taking a break from writing fanfiction as **real life** takes over for a while! _

_So since you've finished this short one, send us a review or comment; with your encouragement, maybe our real life break will be short. Take care of yourself, have a happy day-month-year! _

_Again, thank you to everyone for reading, and our special thanks and appreciation to those of you who are so kind! Amelia, Mimi, and Yvette_


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